I finished up all of the John Green books this year as well as tackled some classics that I’ve had on my list for quite a while. As a whole, there was nothing that WOW’d me like “The Book Thief” and “The Dog Stars” did last year, but there were some notables.
Favorite Book of the Year
Room – Emma Donoghue
What a story. The way the author paints the world according to Jack, is amazing, surprising, yet so obvious once you begin to read it and think about it.
One wouldn’t think that such a small “room” would lend itself to both a world to describe from Jack’s point-of-view, or enough content for the book itself.
This is easily my most recommended book of the year. Donoghue’s other books are now on my to-read list.
Runner Ups
We Were Liars – E. Lockhart
What can I say. You need to read it, and I can’t tell you any more. If you ask, I’ll lie.
Saying the end is a surprise is putting it very mildly. It is out of complete left field. The first thing I ask someone who read it is, “Did you know?”
This was voted as the winner of the Goodreads.com Reader’s Choice Award for YA Fiction for 2014. It deserves it.
Take Me With You – Catherine Ryan Hyde
I picked this one up, solely based on the rating from GoodReads. I was not expecting much. Boy was I wrong.
It is the story of an annual RV road trip taken by a now-sober science teacher, who picks up two unexpected passengers.
The friendships formed are great and the descriptions of the areas of the west they visit are vivid. It makes me want to buy a RV and head out.
The Painter – Peter Heller
Were is not for reading “Room”, this would likely be my favorite of the year. Peter Heller hits it out of the park again, after his first book “The Dog Stars”.
The story is about a well known painter, Jim, who stumbles on a man mistreating a horse. Jim’s reaction rips his quiet life wide open.
It is a beautifully written book.
Some of What I’ve Learned/Reaffirmed
- Gillian Flynn has some something wrong with her brain. But I like it. (Sharp Objects, Dark Places)
- “Even beauty, in abundance, turns creepy.” (The Age of Miracles)
- I have a new found respect for minorities (The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Book of Unknown Americans)
- “A wrongdoing doesn’t give us the right to do wrong.” (Between Shades of Gray)
- Everyone needs to understand how the real Mumbai (Behind the Beautiful Forevers)
- Plastic will be the cause of earth’s downfall (Garbology)
- Life goes on, regardless of outside influences (The Age of Miracles)
- “Americans make more trash than anyone else on the planet, throwing away about 7.1 pounds per person per day, 365 days a year.” (Garbology)
- “I used to think the world was broken down by tribes….By black and white. By Indian and white. But I know that isn’t true. The world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are assholes and the people who are not.” (The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian)
- “A gun is not like a knife or a golf club. You can project idiocy a long ways with a gun.” (Gun Guys: A Road Trip)
- “Your opinions are the result of years of paying attention to information that confirmed what you believed, while ignoring information that challenged your preconceived notions.” (You Are Not So Smart….)
The Whole List
